God is There

During Christmas break, 26 Resonate students went in 5 teams to 3 countries to support missionaries and share Jesus. We went because these countries in East Asia are closed to the good news of God, and also legally closed to the entrance of missionaries which is why we must limit naming countries and revealing certain pictures. But we saw that even when a country or a culture tries to shut God out, He is still there. He is there working in mighty and unexpected ways to free people from darkness and reveal His marvelous light.

Each team had a unique job description on the field. From developing friendships with college students, to teaching English in schools, to throwing Christmas parties, to hiking to mountain villages, to doing demographic research for outreach purposes, each team was busy serving and showing love to the people and the missionaries in those countries.

And in all of these experiences, God was present.

In the beautiful experiences, God is there.

At the home of an elderly East Asian man where 80 students gather to celebrate Christmas and praise Jesus, God is there.

At a school in Mongolia where dozens of students hear the gospel for the first time, God is there.

On a bus in where an East Asian student learns about Jesus for the first time, God is there.

While witnessing 56 Mongolians come to Christ at an outreach event on the second night of ministry, God is there.

And in the painful experiences, God is still there.

In the mountains of East Asia where the influence of Buddhism is strong, God is there.

In the cold of Russia where Central Asian Muslims are oppressed, spiritually and economically, God is there.

In every situation, God is there.

And in these countries, God is there always, working through the missionaries and local believers to spread truth. The Resonate teams were blessed to join in this mission to spread truth about the God who is present in every situation and every life. The God who brings salvation, healing, restoration, and freedom to people from every country and every culture.

Even though we were only in these countries for two weeks, we saw the miracles that happen when we trust that God is present and powerful. And we continue to pray for the missionaries and local believers who are working tirelessly in these countries. We pray that they are encouraged by the God who is there in every situation. And we pray that East Asian, Mongolian, and Russian people would come to have personal relationships with the God who is not distant but present, working in every beautiful and sad situation of their lives.